Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State and his predecessor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, on Tuesday, met face-to-face for the first time since the keenly contested 2023 governorship election.
The meeting, which took place at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), was said to have happened by coincidence when both leaders arrived at the airport around the same time.
The encounter was cordial as the two political rivals exchanged pleasantries in what observers described as a friendly atmosphere.
Ganduje, who currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), was reportedly in Kano for an inspection of airport facilities. Governor Yusuf, on the other hand, was said to be on his way to Abuja for an official engagement.
The former governor was received at the airport by top APC chieftains in the state, while Governor Yusuf was accompanied by senior government officials.
It will be recalled that Ganduje, who completed his second term in 2023, did not personally hand over power to Yusuf. He delegated the then Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, to conduct the handover ceremony.
Governor Yusuf, of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), had defeated Ganduje’s preferred successor, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the 2023 election.
